


Lay Me Down

by troublesque



Category: One Piece
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-21
Updated: 2015-03-21
Packaged: 2018-03-18 20:41:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3583308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/troublesque/pseuds/troublesque
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I swear I'll make it back to you, no matter what it takes...Luffy..."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lay Me Down

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Sam Smith's "Lay Me Down"
> 
> All rights belong to Eiichiro Oda.

_‘I swear I’ll make it back to you, no matter what it takes...Luffy...’_

The memories of the past two years blurred together in his mind. Starting off with Bartholomew Kuma shoving him inside some sort of animal paw-shaped bubble forcing him away from his nakama, of all places, to _Mihawk’s_ castle. Then scouring to find a way to get back to them before the paper revealed what had happened at Marineford, with the picture of Luffy on the front page, battered and broken, being carried away from the battlegrounds that in turn prompted him to beg at the feet of Mihawk for training.

For two years he starred up at the stars every night, swearing he’d become stronger. Strong enough to get back to his nakama. Strong enough to stand up for them. Strong enough to protect them. Strong enough for himself. Stronger for _Luffy._ So he’d never have to see that look of absolute despair on his captain’s face ever again.

The moonlight was always bright and it reminded him of how infectious Luffy’s smile was. The way the rubber man’s touch could be as hard as a tank or as light as a feather. Memories of just the two of them, relaxing together on Sunny’s grass deck, his head pillowed on Luffy’s stomach while Luffy’s fingers ran softly through his hair as they watched for shooting stars in the middle of the night.

At first it was embarrassing, Perona catching him with tears streaming down his face as he watched the stars alone. It took him a few weeks but he had learned how to best avoid her—or maybe she just let him be—which gave him the time alone he didn’t necessarily need but wanted. It was there that he let his emotions spill over, the frustration of being weak and unable to escape that nightmarish hellhole.

Now, two years later, Zoro dropped down at the foot of the main mast, after a thorough workout up in the crow’s nest he had decided it was time to head in for the night before his watch shift started. But as he moved towards the men’s quarters, he found himself frozen in place, eyes glued to the grassy deck where Luffy was lying on his back, eyes closed and arms spread out beside him.

It had only been a day or two since they had left Sabaody, Chopper immediately requesting a physical examination of all crew members and with everyone’s excitement to be back together, there had hardly been anytime for Zoro to talk to the captain alone. There was nobody else out on deck, it was just the two of them, and he willed himself to move.

_‘Luffy.’_

He had stopped at Luffy’s feet, unwilling to disturbed the man who looked so peaceful, so serene with the moonlight casting over his sleeping body. His chest tightened with all the words unspoken that he longed to tell the rubberman, fists clenching at his sides and his jaw locking up. His vision was drawn to the x-shaped scar burned into Luffy’s skin and it made his eye prickle, to know that he wasn’t strong enough to be there and support him during such a traumatic experience.

“I’ve missed you,” Zoro heard himself whispering, his tongue thick in his mouth making it hard for him to get the words out as he couldn’t help but reached down towards Luffy’s face, his hand cupping the face he had fallen in love with. “I want to lay by your side, next to you. I want to make sure you’re alright—oi!”

He wasn’t prepared for the sudden grin that split Luffy’s face apart as his hand cupped his captain’s face or the rubber arms that wound around his torso and dragged him to the deck. The familiar snickering of laughter echoing all around them as they rolled around on the grass, Luffy coming out on top and smiling down at him.

“This time...” Zoro vowed, thumb stroking over Luffy’s cheek, over the smiling scar under his left eye, his free arm wrapping around Luffy’s waist to hold him close. “...this time, _I’ll_ take care of _you_.”

“Shishishishi,” Luffy laughed, dropping his head so their foreheads rested against each other, noses rubbing, his arms releasing Zoro’s body so his hands could frame the swordsman’s face. “I’m counting on you.”

Zoro’s mouth twitched into a grin that matched Luffy’s as their lips firmly pressed against each other. “Aye, Sencho.”

 

 


End file.
